Monday, January 01, 2018

Bangladesh (23 - 31 Dec 2017)

Exchange rate and budgeting


Decided to change from SGD to USD instead of directly to BDT (Bangladeshi taka ৳)


Expenses

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Flight plan:

Flight 1

Scoot Airline
TR-514
Date of Journey
23 Dec 2017, 05:55 PM
From
Singapore (SIN)
Changi Intl Arpt, Terminal 2
To
Dhaka (DAC)
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Terminal 1
Flight 2

Scoot Airline
TR-515
Date of Journey
31 Dec 2017, 09:00 PM
From
Dhaka (DAC)
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Terminal 1
To
Singapore (SIN)
Changi Intl Arpt, Terminal 2

Flight Cost: SGD341.92

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Day 1, 23 Dec 17


On flight TR514


Everyone rushing to alight


Shahjalal International Airport (DAC)


Visa on Arrival was USD $51. I was told it is possible to get visa done in Singapore at approximately SGD$37.


Changed USD $100 for ৳8340 at the airport, and bought a traveller SIM card at ৳400. 10 days temp SIM with 2GB data and 1GB for Facebook.


First night at Golpata Bed & Breakfast, Dhaka (6km / 20min taxi ride, ৳1000, from Airport, but took way much longer due to road closure)


Common kitchen


The mixed dorm


View from the window

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Day 2, 24 Dec 17


This is how Golpata Bed & Breakfast's building looks like




Road works


Having tea "char"


3 different transport: Trishaw, CNG and car


Goaldi Mosque - গোয়ালদি মসজিদ


Panam City পানাম নগরী


Old buildings


Corridor










Rusty fence


Tea time




Lunch at Highway Inn


Cardboard collection


Very near to India border




- Ship-breaking yard
http://www.deshghuri.com/bangladesh-tour/2-days-trip/bangladesh-ship-breaking-yard-tour/


Liferafts


Cut-up ship


Propeller gone


Roll-on/roll-off (RORO)




360






Crab


Sunset






Kids playing


Market for items salvaged from the ships


Jam everywhere


Night time


Flyover


Street snacks


All deep-fried


Fruits


Provisions


Street stalls


Busy street


Street market place




CNG ride


Night stay at Golden Inn

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Day 3, 25 Dec 17


Homeless


Chittagong Railway Station Old Terminal চট্টগ্রাম রেলওয়েস্টেশন প্রাচীন টার্মিনাল


Inside the railway station


At the platform




Trying to board the train


Good catch


Fishery port


Boats


Market place


Dried fishes




Workers transporting the goods


Unloading


Full of locks


Chittagong Court Building চট্টগ্রাম কোর্ট বিল্ডিং


Playing a game in the park




Chittagong War cemetery


Shops selling items salvaged from the ships


All kinds of items


Lifeboats


Inside the lifboats




Sunset


Public toilet


Night time


Bad traffic


Bus station, but I didn't manage to get the bus ticket that I needed


Got my ticket at the main office of S.R. Travels


An overnight Bus journey to Bogra (192km / 5hrs)


Map from Google

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Day 4, 26 Dec 17


Reach Bogra (S.R Travel's office) very early in the morning (5.40am) and had breakfast at local restaurant. Met a pair of father and son.


Round-about at Bir Srestho Square


Took a CNG North towards the Mahasthan Bus Stop area




Jiyat Kunda (The well of life)


As the sun rose, it started to get warmer


We walked along the walls




Fenced up


I was too early to visit Mahasthangarh Museum মহাস্থানগড়, the first sign of early civilization in Bengal of 4th - 6th century




Cow


Vasu Bihar ভাসু বিহার




360


Took a CNG to the village


visited a local home


Watched the local kids play cricket


Didn't managed to explore the Somapura Mahavihara সোমপুর মহাবিহার (locally called paharpur) and Kusumba Mosque কুসুম্বা শাহী মসজিদ , took a direct local bus (৳120) towards Rajshahi instead.


Bhadra Mor ভদ্রা মোড় at a roundabout




Cows on the railway track


Rajshahi Railway Station রাজশাহী রেলওয়ে স্টেশন


A.H.M Kamruzzaman Memorial Chattor




Busy street


Green


Room for ৳600




Sunset


The Padma River separates Rajshahi, Bangladesh from India (similar to Mekong River separating Vientiane, Laos and Thailand). Image from GoogleMaps


Street stalls


Puppies cuddling together for warmth


Rajshahi at night


#meow


Night market

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Day 5, 27 Dec 17


Rajshahi College রাজশাহী কলেজ






Start early in the morning and explore Phutia Temple Complex পুঠিয়া রাজবাড়ী,




Puthia Rajbari Complex পুঠিয়া রাজবাড়ী


Gobinda Temple











A round trip from Rajshahi to Phutia and back to train station cost me a whopping 1,000 because I did not have small change and the driver just drove off with my note.


Lunch at Rajshahi Railway Station রাজশাহী রেলওয়ে স্টেশন


Briyani


Catch the train at 2PM. Although the "Arani Railway Station" is nearer to Putia, the train to Khulna does not stop here. You will still need to go to Rajshahi Railway Station to take the train




Crossing Arani Rail Bridge আড়ানী রেল সেতু


Ishwardi Bypass Railway Station ঈশ্বরদী বাইপাস রেলওয়ে স্টেশন


peddlers selling stuffs


Peddler on the train


Power station




Crossing the Hardinge Bridge, Pakshi হার্ডিঞ্জ ব্রি




A farm?


Reach at Khulna at 8.30PM


Train track (Map from Google Map)


Stayed at the Hotel Royal International (৳2,175). As I run out of taka, I had to change my USD to taka at the hotel at a horrible rate (US$100 to ৳7500)


View from the room


Dinner (৳135)

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Day 6, 28 Dec 17


Breakfast at hotel


Morning view


Tiger


Prawn/shrimp




Puppies


Took a local bus to Bagarhat


Barakapura Park বারাকপূর পার্ক


Singair Mosque সিঙ্গাইর মসজিদ




Mosque of Bagarhat


Shaat Gombuj Mosque (Sixty Dome Mosque) ষাট গম্বুজ মসজিদ


Interior








Shatgombuj Mosque Pond - Ghora Dighi ( ঘোড়া দিঘী )


Khan Jahan Ali's Tomb খানজাহান আলী সমাধি






Selling snacks


Nine Dome Mosque


Taking a local bus which crossed the river at Bekutia Ferry Ghat towards Barishal


Barishal Launch Ghat




Boarding the "Launch"


Waiting for departure


Took the Surovi 8 Launch. I arrived about 5pm to reserve my space and the boat only depart around 9pm


No more cabin, so I slept on the deck with the locals. 200taka

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Day 7, 29 Dec 17


Arrived in Dhaka at about 6.40am


Dhaka Launch Ghat






Stayed at Airbnb, Hosted by Swapan
https://www.airbnb.com.sg/rooms/19376730


Breakfast


Bangladesh Supreme Court বাংলাদেশ সুপ্রিম কোর্ট


Bangladesh National Museum বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় জাদুঘর


Dhaka Shishu Park ঢাকা শিশু পার্ক


শিখা চিরন্তন - Eternal Flame


Museum of Independence


The Mausoleum of Three Leaders জাতীয় তিন নেতার মাজার




Curzon Hall কার্জন হল




Central Shaheed Minar কেন্দ্রীয় শহীদ মিনার


Dhakeshwari Mandir ঢাকেশ্বরী মন্দির


Themed resturant


Lalbagh Fort লালবাগ কেল্লা/ Tomb of Pori Bibi পরী বিবির মাজার


Khan Mohammad Mosque খান মোহাম্মদ মসজিদ


Chawkbazar Shahi Jame Mosque চকবাজার শাহী জামে মসজিদ


Kartalab Khan's Masjid করতলব খানের মসজিদ


Star Mosque - Tara Masjid তাঁরা মসজিদ


Armenian Church আর্মেনিয়ান চার্চ




Babu Bazar Bridge বাবু বাজার ব্রিজ


Rocket Steamer




Interior


Deck


Pink Palace - Ahsan Manzil আহসান মঞ্জিল




Buses


View from rooftop




360


City Building নগর ভবন in the background


It was a Friday and I did not manage to visit many places. Fatigue also limited me to explore further.

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Day 8, 30 Dec 17


Breafastk


Revisit the Museum of Independence স্বাধীনতা জাদুঘর








Eternal Flame শিখা চিরন্তন


Bashundhara City Shopping Complex বসুন্ধরা সিটি শপিং কমপ্লেক্স










Mausoleum of President Ziaur Rahman রাষ্ট্রপতি জিয়াউর রহমানের সমাধি






Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মজিবুর রহমান নভোথিয়েটার


F25 - BNS Bangabandhu (বানৌজা বঙ্গবন্ধু) Frigate


Jamuna Amusement Park যমুনা বিনোদন পার্ক


Jamuna Future Park যমুনা ফিউচার পার্ক


Fast food meal








Night snack

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Day 9, 31 Dec 17


Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, Bangladesh






Drinking water dispenser with cups

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Did not manage to visit:

- Mahasthangarh (Bogar)
- Sompur Mahavihara সোমপুর মহাবিহার

- Liberation War Museum মুক্তিযুদ্ধ যাদুঘর
- Kamalapur Railway Station কমলাপুর রেলস্টেশন
- City Centre সিটি সেন্টার (tallest building at 171m)
- City Building নগর ভবন (Dhaka City Corporation Building)
- Dhaka New Market ঢাকা নিউ মার্কেট
- National Martyr's Monument জাতীয় স্মৃতিসৌধ
- Physics Department Of Govt. B.M. Collage (Barishal)


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Final thoughts
- Get visa done in Singapore
- Be careful, while there are nice people, there are also people out to take advantage.
- Transport is expensive
- Have small change ready at all times
- Take note of opening hours and their break time for visiting places.


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More pictures:
- Bangladesh (23 - 28 Dec 2017)
- Dhaka (29 - 31 Dec 2017)

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